100 signatures reached
To: Nancy Fielder, Editor Sheffield Star
Sheffield Star must tell the truth about climate catastrophe.
The Sheffield Star must stop misinforming the public and start to educate them about the massive issue of climate and ecological catastrophe. Unless the public understands the dire consequences of continuing business, as usual, it will be impossible for the Government to implement the emergency measures required to prevent mass extinction.
Why is this important?
On May 31st 2019 the Sheffield Star published a letter with a bold headline saying "Man-made climate change is a myth". The contents of this letter have been thoroughly debunked in this article. http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/news/climate-change-deniers-haul-out-a-daft-conspiracy-theory-about-attenboroughs-new-programme/
Not only did the Star print the climate deniers letter without checking it was factually correct, but they also chose to give it "Star letter" treatment and print a headline that is entirely opposed to scientific fact.
The Star must stop misinforming the public and start to educate them about the massive issue of climate and ecological catastrophe. Unless the public understands the dire consequences of continuing "business as usual", it will be impossible for the Government to implement the emergency measures required to prevent mass extinction. Newspapers that actively oppose the measures required to stop climate and ecological catastrophe will be complicit in both genocide and ecocide.
The science is clear: It is understood that we are facing an unprecedented global emergency. We are in a life or death situation of our own making. We must act now.
“We are in a planetary emergency” Prof. James Hansen, former Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
“Climate change is a medical emergency…It thus demands an emergency response…” Prof. Hugh Montgomery, director of the University College London Institute for Human Health and Performance, Lancet Commission Co-Chair
“This is an emergency and for emergency situations, we need emergency action.” – Ban Ki-Moon, former UN Secretary-General
“Act now to save our planet and our future from the climate emergency.” Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General
At the end of 2018, the UN Secretary-General warned us:
"Humanity and life on Earth now face a ‘direct existential threat’
The world must act swiftly and robustly to keep global warming under 1.5°C and try to avoid utterly catastrophic impacts to life on Earth.
Human activity is causing irreparable harm to life on this world. A mass extinction event, only the sixth in roughly 540 million years, is underway. Many current life forms could be annihilated or at least committed to extinction by the end of this century."
The air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we plant in, the food we eat, and the beauty and diversity of nature that nourishes our psychological well-being, all are being corrupted and compromised by the political and economic systems that promote and support our modern, consumer-focused lifestyles.
We must act while we still can. What we are seeing now is nothing compared to what could come.
Effects on global human society, if the climate and ecological emergency are not addressed, may spiral out of control.
Sea level rise
Desertification
Wildfires
Water shortage
Crop failure
Extreme weather
Millions displaced
Disease
Increased risk of wars and conflicts
But our leaders are failing in their duty to act on our behalf. Our current systems of governance are compromised by a focus on profits and economic growth. Politicians can be influenced by lobbies of powerful corporations and the media are hampered by the vested interest of corporate advertisers undermining our democratic values.
We have run out of the luxury of time to react incrementally.
We must radically and immediately begin reducing emissions and improving carbon absorption, drawing it down and locking it up again.
Only a peaceful planet-wide mobilisation of the scale of World War II will give us a chance to avoid the worst-case scenarios and restore a safe climate
The task before us is daunting but big changes have happened before.
Let’s make a better world.
(Thanks to Extinction Rebellion for this text)
Not only did the Star print the climate deniers letter without checking it was factually correct, but they also chose to give it "Star letter" treatment and print a headline that is entirely opposed to scientific fact.
The Star must stop misinforming the public and start to educate them about the massive issue of climate and ecological catastrophe. Unless the public understands the dire consequences of continuing "business as usual", it will be impossible for the Government to implement the emergency measures required to prevent mass extinction. Newspapers that actively oppose the measures required to stop climate and ecological catastrophe will be complicit in both genocide and ecocide.
The science is clear: It is understood that we are facing an unprecedented global emergency. We are in a life or death situation of our own making. We must act now.
“We are in a planetary emergency” Prof. James Hansen, former Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
“Climate change is a medical emergency…It thus demands an emergency response…” Prof. Hugh Montgomery, director of the University College London Institute for Human Health and Performance, Lancet Commission Co-Chair
“This is an emergency and for emergency situations, we need emergency action.” – Ban Ki-Moon, former UN Secretary-General
“Act now to save our planet and our future from the climate emergency.” Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General
At the end of 2018, the UN Secretary-General warned us:
"Humanity and life on Earth now face a ‘direct existential threat’
The world must act swiftly and robustly to keep global warming under 1.5°C and try to avoid utterly catastrophic impacts to life on Earth.
Human activity is causing irreparable harm to life on this world. A mass extinction event, only the sixth in roughly 540 million years, is underway. Many current life forms could be annihilated or at least committed to extinction by the end of this century."
The air we breathe, the water we drink, the earth we plant in, the food we eat, and the beauty and diversity of nature that nourishes our psychological well-being, all are being corrupted and compromised by the political and economic systems that promote and support our modern, consumer-focused lifestyles.
We must act while we still can. What we are seeing now is nothing compared to what could come.
Effects on global human society, if the climate and ecological emergency are not addressed, may spiral out of control.
Sea level rise
Desertification
Wildfires
Water shortage
Crop failure
Extreme weather
Millions displaced
Disease
Increased risk of wars and conflicts
But our leaders are failing in their duty to act on our behalf. Our current systems of governance are compromised by a focus on profits and economic growth. Politicians can be influenced by lobbies of powerful corporations and the media are hampered by the vested interest of corporate advertisers undermining our democratic values.
We have run out of the luxury of time to react incrementally.
We must radically and immediately begin reducing emissions and improving carbon absorption, drawing it down and locking it up again.
Only a peaceful planet-wide mobilisation of the scale of World War II will give us a chance to avoid the worst-case scenarios and restore a safe climate
The task before us is daunting but big changes have happened before.
Let’s make a better world.
(Thanks to Extinction Rebellion for this text)
